Aftermath
by BitterSweetTeller
Summary: This is a sequel to Can you Ever Go Home Again? Rated K plus for action and some suggestive content.
1. Part 1:  Where's Carmen?

Aftermath: A Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego Fanfic

Part 1:

Side note: If you haven't seen the Can You ever go Home again two parter, please do before reading this fanfiction. It'll make more sense this way.

It was dark. The mostly brown bricked museum was closed for the night…but some guards were on watch duty. Little did they know that their museum, the Museum of Science and Industry in England, was the target. Some typical V.I.L.E henchmen in bluish colors were coming towards them, but with not so typical equipment…even for V.I.L.E. They aimed their brown laser rifles at the guards, and fired. Some guards were hit by the blasts. These guards were taken out and off their feet. Some guards ran out of the way, charging at the henchmen with their own guns.

Then, V.I.L.E. henchmen Al Loy and Daryl Riska came down on tether cable lines to kick down the remaining guards by surprise. Al Loy was wearing a green cap, a mostly gray headset, black sunglasses, and a gray overshirt and pants with pockets on them. Daryl Riska was wearing a round purple mask, a thin and mostly gray microphone, grey sunglasses, a mostly blue and purple outfit, blue jeans, and purple gloves. Daryl Riska urged, "let's go!"

Most of the regular henchmen went up the tether…up to the hi-tech red and yellow blimp with circular double helium envelopes in the night sky. Daryl Riska ran towards one side of an L-shaped section of the museum, while Al Loy ran towards the opposite side. They were stringing along a couple of special purple cable, letting it loose around the building's bottom edges as they ran around the building. Al Loy had one cable in hand, while Daryl Riska had the other in hand. They suddenly bumped into each other as they were laying down the last line of cable.

Al Loy called out, "watch where you're going!"

Daryl Riska muttered loudly, "why didn't you?"

A familiar voice over their headset and microphone called out, "you each had an agreement not to talk to one another. Now, stop talking!"

Al Loy sighed, "yes, Sara."

V.I.L.E. henchwoman Dr. Sara Bellum figured with a sigh, "that's better. Now get up here…before the cables explode." Sara Bellum was waiting inside the blimp for Al Loy and Daryl Riska. Sara Bellum was wearing her typical gray lab coat, pink shirt, and gray goggles. Her medium fully sticking up grayish brown hair was standing up in a v shape. Sara Bellum was sitting in the cockpit seats of the blimp, with a typical henchman in blue beside her.

Al Loy and Daryl Riska dropped the last of their cables and ran towards the cable sticking out of the blimp. Suddenly, a series of explosions came from the purple cables. A quickly discharged laser grid burned through the concrete below, loosening the L shaped section of the museum. Another blimp of the same design came towards the building, piloted by typical V.I.L.E. henchmen. Both blimps released two big gray suction cupped grabbers onto the L shaped building and pulled up the entire building with ease.

Drivers of cars paused in the British roads to see the carried building in the night sky. Sara Bellum was laughing her head off as she steered her blimp further away from the museum and the ground.

The henchman beside her covered his ears to keep himself from going deaf. Police in police cars noticed the flying building as well. One of the policemen concluded with worry, "we better call ACME."

After watching the crime unfold, the Player typed, "what have you done with Carmen?" Dr. Sara Bellum appeared on the Player's computer screen.

She dismissively said, "I'm in charge of ACME now, so any calls for Carmen go through me. Who are you?"

The Player typed, "I'm the kid who's going to bring you down."

Sara Bellum chuckled, "what are you supposed to be…a earlier version of the Chief? No matter…you're offline now." And with that, the screen went black for a second. Then the screen turned blue again, with a game menu and a colored coded picture of the world's continents appearing in front of the Player. The Player clicked on the ACME Detective Agency button on the menu.

At ACME Headquarters…

Zack and Ivy came into the main computer room, where the Chief was waiting for them. Ivy asked in a somewhat cheery mood, "what's up, Chief?"

The Chief on the main computer screen sighed, "I don't know how it happened…I just don't know how."

Zack urged, "what happened?" The Chief showed some scenes from the Museum of Science and Industry's security cameras, much to the shock of Zack and Ivy.

Ivy gasped, "my gosh…"

Zack responded, "how would Carmen just let her henchmen…?"

The Chief sighed again, "that's what I keep asking myself. I think something's…wrong." He magnified the two blimps inch by inch, showing there to be no Carmen Sandiego logo on either one as the Chief kept talking.

Zack realized, "isn't that…Manchester's Museum of Science and Industry's Power Hall?"

Ivy reflected, "and it's only been around a week since Carmen was last sighted near Malcolm Avalon. It's almost as if…"

Zack realized, "as if someone's replaced her as head of V.I.L.E."

Ivy sighed, "she might've decided to step down, but I can't help thinking that we would have then found out for sure by now."

Zack asked, "what are you getting at, Ivy?"

Ivy pointed out, "remember when she told us that we'd be her successors?"

The Chief laughed, "oh…for a second there, I thought you said that... That wasn't a joke, was it?" Zack shook his head. Ivy just stared for a bit.

Ivy insisted, "Chief, we told you earlier. Remember when Carmen's jet seemed to…?"

The Chief sighed, "yeah…I just thought you were joking then. Just my wishful thinking."

Zack pointed out, "doesn't mean we said yes."

The Chief sighed with some relief, "least there's that to be thankful for."

Ivy wondered, "speaking of things to be thankful for, is there a clue this time?"

The Chief realized, "oh yeah…here it is." The C-5 corridor opened up a little bit, bringing a scale model of a waterwheel into Zack's hands.

Zack suggested, "Player, info-scan famous waterwheels." The main screen changed from waterwheel to waterwheel, until a certain waterwheel caught his eye. He pointed out, "that's it!"

Ivy pointed out, "umm…Zack…that's in England too. Are you sure that the head of V.I.L.E. isn't trying to throw us off track?"

Zack insisted, "no, I'm sure of it. It's the Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre."

Ivy sighed, "I don't know…seems a little too easy to me."

Zack figured, "only one way to find out. Player, the C-5 Car." A blue car then appeared out of the C-5 Corridor, where Zack and Ivy strapped in.

The Chief urged, "you be careful out there."

Ivy assured him, "we will, Chief." And with that, the C-5 Corridor opened up around the C-5 Car, leading them towards England.


	2. Part 2:  Really VILE

Aftermath: A Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego Fanfic

Part 2:

Side note: If you haven't seen the Can You ever go Home again two parter, please do before reading this fanfiction. It'll make more sense this way.

As Ivy and Zack went through the C-5 Corridor, a map of the world appeared before them. The Chief pointed out, "you're heading from San Francisco, California to Sherborne, England. And the Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre was used to provide clean water to Sherborne for ninety years. Now it's provided by electrical pumps."

Zack added, "isn't there also a few steam engines up there?"

The Chief concluded, "right you are, Zack. But, they're mainly just for show."

Ivy added, "and the Museum of Science and Industry isn't just for show?"

The Chief answered, "not only that, but there are more than one Museum of Science and Industry. They all mainly showcase important inventions that made the industrial age possible…and the modern age too. "

Zack concluded, "like steam engines and the earliest computers, Chief?"

The Chief deduced, "yep…including the Pegasus One mainframe computer, one of the earliest mainframes ever built. But one of the biggest museums among these museums is the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England…with five buildings and a train ride dedicated to technology. That's like having Future World from Disney World in England…but without the rides."

Suddenly, a bluish green open box shaped train ride from the Spaceship Earth ride appeared with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse inside, coming right for the Chief. The Chief called out, "look Mickey, I'm sorry…ok? You can have your million dollar rights. Sheesh!" The spaceship turned around before it hit the Chief, much to the Chief's relief.

Zack and Ivy in the C-5 Car appeared on a road near the Sherborne Steam and Waterwheel Centre. They drove into a nearby parking lot, then got out to see the two V.I.L.E. blimps and the Power Hall from earlier. The Power Hall had been lowered down into a grassy field nearby. A certain someone in a red coat and mostly red hat ran towards the Power Hall.

Ivy suggested, "it's Carmen!" She and Zack chased after the figure in red. The figure in red jumped over a rock carved path. One of the V.I.L.E blimps was lowering grayish metal plating around the Power Hall, piece by piece. Henchmen in blue were wielding holes with blowtorches into the Power Hall.

Zack suggested, "maybe we should call for backup."

Ivy wondered, "why?"

Zack urged, "look!" Ivy turned in the direction Zack was looking at…to see the big red waterwheel in the grayish yellow brick styled Castleton Waterwheel Museum building being pulled out by cables attached to hooks.

Henchmen in blue had already used little bombs seconds ago to loosen the waterwheel enough to be able to pull it out in the first place. And that's what got Zack and Ivy's attention. Smoke came from the main museum building as the waterwheel was being pulled up towards a V.I.L.E. blimp.

Ira Gation, with his short brownish red hair and tan raincoat, was pouring water from a hose onto the waterwheel itself to help it move off the ground faster. Ivy figured, "I'll go after Carmen. You see if you can get up to that blimp."

Zack insisted, "but Ivy, I don't do so well with heights."

Ivy handed him a blue net launcher, "then use this." And with that, Ivy took off after the figure in red. Zack aimed the net launcher at Ira Gation above, and fired. Ira Gation, surprised by the incoming net, froze as the net covered him.

He called out, "stop the water!" A henchman in blue stopped the water flow to the hose, as the hose hung from the blimp above Zack's head. Zack ran back to the C-5 Car to launch a spike from the front of the C-5 Car to the blimp's fuel tank. Unfortunately, it missed, much to Zack's frustration.

Meanwhile, Ivy followed the figure in red into the Power Hall, where she could clearly see a lot of steam engines and other kinds of engines around her. The places where the henchmen in blue were blowtorching through the walls were by no mere coincidence next to the steam engines.

Frank M. Poster, with his thin black mustache and his partly shaven brown hair, then turned around to face Ivy with his brown cane. He was the figure in red all along. Ivy muttered, "blast it!"

She tumbled out of the way of Frank M. Poster's cane, then side kicked him from below. Frank M. Poster fell to the floor, but then tumbled backwards and took out his own brown laser rifle. He fired at Ivy, who flip jumped over the blasts. She kicked Frank M. Poster down from above to knock him out, just before he could get back up. The laser rifle from his hand fell to the ground as Ivy landed back on her feet.

Ivy muttered uneasily, "these weapons look familiar…like Lee Jordan's." Suddenly, the Power Hall was picked up again by the two V.I.L.E. blimps, knocking Ivy off balance against a steam engine display. She groaned as she got back up, noticing through the open door behind her that the sky started to appear bigger to her as the ground below started to appear smaller to her.

Zack launched the C-5 Car into the air, with its rocket engines and wings coming out. He called out nervously, "Ivy! Hang on!" Zack muttered to himself, "it'll be over soon…it'll be over soon." He uneasily piloted the C-5 Car towards the uplifted Power Hall. The henchmen in blue got out of the way as one of the V.I.L.E. blimps lowered a complex pipe system towards the Power Hall. The pipe system was being welded to the steam engines by the henchmen in blue, while the waterwheel itself was being dragged towards the front of the Power Hall.

Ivy realized as Sara Bellum appeared in her hi-tech hovering purple hovercraft, "you needed the steam engines…but why?"

Sara Bellum chuckled, "it's so simple, Ivy…I'm going to make a tank capable of eliminating war. And that will give V.I.L.E. many new army recruits…with which V.I.L.E. would be unstoppable! But, you won't be around to tell anyone…will you now?" And with that, Sara Bellum aimed a brown laser rifle at shocked Ivy.


	3. Part 3:  Lost and Found

Aftermath: A Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego Fanfic

Part 3:

Zack gasped as he saw Sara Bellum with a laser rifle. With one hand on the wheel, Zack aimed the net launcher at Sara Bellum with the other hand. He launched the net at Sara Bellum, which wrapped around the laser rifle. It fired, but exploded when it hit the then aflame net. Sara Bellum was knocked against her own hovercraft, knocked out from the blast. Then Daryl Riska and Al Loy came down from the blimp, swinging into the building with tethers.

Daryl Riska muttered, "well, well, well…it's been too long."

Al Loy figured, "let's just get her." They both took out laser rifles, aiming them at Ivy. Zack was trying to carefully hover the C-5 Car around the entrance to the Power Hall, but he bumped it. This resulted in the Power Hall rocking, setting Ivy, Al Loy, and Daryl Riska off balance. The suction cupped grabbers from earlier that had lifted the Power Hall slipped from the Power Hall, letting the Power Hall slam down onto the ground.

Zack called out, "come on!" Ivy got back up and ran towards the C-5 Car. Al Loy and Donna Riska had let the laser rifles fall from their hands, but picked them up seconds later. Ivy got herself strapped into the C-5 Car.

Ivy figured, "why don't I drive, little bro?"

Zack sighed with relief, "go ahead." Ivy took the wheel, steering them away from several laser blasts. One of them though hit the windshield, with Zack and Ivy covering their eyes with their arms. Daryl Riska and Al Loy tried to swing on the lowered cables to catch up with Zack and Ivy, but the waterwheel itself knocked them backwards into the Power Hall.

They were knocked out as a result, right after they called out in surprise.

Ivy figured, "well…they won't be around for a while."

Zack wondered, "yeah…but where's Carmen?"

Ivy wondered, "and why did those guns look familiar?" Other ACME agents helped take care of the rest of the henchmen in the area, with help from the C-5 Corridor.

At a random prison cell…

Sara Bellum was in the black grayish brick styled interrogation room, with Zack and Ivy across from her. Zack asked, "what did you do with Carmen?"

Sara Bellum laughed, "even if you know where, it'll be almost impossible to find her now."

Ivy insisted, "well, you failed twice at running V.I.L.E., so you might as well tell us."

Sara Bellum revealed to Zack and Ivy's shock, "somewhere in the Alps."

Zack realized, "I knew you were crazy…but I didn't think you were that crazy."

Ivy muttered as they walked away from the interrogation room, "you should've heard her back in England. She wanted to end war by turning the Power Hall into a tank."

Zack commented, "isn't war contradictive in itself?"

Ivy sighed, "war is never that easy to stop, Zack. It never is."

Zack figured, "I guess so."

Ivy figured, "come on Zack…we've got to go rescue Carmen."

Hours later…

Since no other V.I.L.E. activity was happening, pairs of ACME agents with winter coats on had spread out across the Alps in Europe to search for Carmen. These ACME agents included Tatiana, Maria, Zack, Ivy, Jasmine, Armando, Lee, Josha, and Amati. Zack and Ivy were of course paired up as a team. Tatiana called out over her watch, "over here!"

The other ACME agents ran to where Tatiana was, except for the ACME agent that was next to her. They noticed a cave in a mountainside, and next to it was a Carmen Sandiego symbol outlined in the snow. Ivy called out, "hello?"

Carmen responded back with a shiver, "good…to hear…you, Ivy."

Zack realized, "she doesn't sound so good."

Ivy urged, "player, the C-5 Corridor…quick!" The C-5 Corridor opened up inside of the igloo, letting a relieved Carmen go through the C-5 Corridor. Zack and Ivy followed her, for the C-5 Corridor opened up for them as well.


	4. Part 4:  The End?

Aftermath: A Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego Fanfic

Part 4:

A few hours later, back at ACME headquarters…

Zack, Ivy, and Carmen were sitting at a yellowish table in the main computer room. Carmen had a lot of blankets around her to help her temperature return to normal. She was coughing a little and still kind of cold, but she was making a full recovery. Zack wondered, "so, what happened?"

Carmen sighed, "I thought I could trust Sara…but I was wrong."

Ivy insisted, "why did she strand you up there, Carmen?"

Carmen sighed again, "it was just after we defeated Lee Jordan's gang of fresh V.I.L.E. recruits. I took what happened hard, detectives. I even saw a hypnotist about it. It didn't help much, except calm me down a little."

Zack added, "and then?"

The Chief urged, "yeah…what then?"

A week ago, at V.I.L.E. headquarters…

Carmen was in her big red chair, with old fashioned paintings that she stole and copied scattered on her walls. Her main control room had a lot of buttons and switches to press and flip on a single computer console, which was right in front of Carmen. The room looked like the Emerald City out of The Wizard of Oz. Someone knocked on the main door to the control room.

Carmen urged, "come in." Dr. Sara Bellum came in, a little nervous.

Sara asked, "you wanted to see me, Carmen?"

Carmen stared at her and asked coldly, "did you give Lee Jordan's gang weapons?"

Sara tried to assured her, "I have no idea what…"

Carmen insisted, "don't try to deny it, Sara! I know you did it."

Sara wondered, "what gave me away?"

Carmen pointed out, "I took the gun that was in Lee's hands on my way out. I then examined it with my goggles…to discover that only someone as smart as yourself could have built such a device. And since there were no other V.I.L.E. agents that smart in my ranks, I figured it was you. Why did you do it, Sara?"

Sara chuckled, "it's time for a new head of V.I.L.E., Carmen…and you're looking at her!" She quickly pressed a button on a remote before Carmen could stop her. It turned out that it wasn't a remote, but a small electric version of a taser. The taser took Carmen by surprise as the electricity knocked out her nervous system for a good long time. She couldn't move, much to her discomfort.

Sara went on, "after all the times that you teamed up with ACME, you've become soft. They're the enemy! They want nothing to do with us, and we're reduced to being thieves…when we can do so much more. You've been holding us back, Carmen…but that changes today."

Carmen muttered, "I forgave you for betraying me earlier…but this is unforgiveable! You're just as bad as Maelstrom!"

Sara sighed, "Maelstrom was a fool…limiting himself to the oceans for his spectacular thefts. My biggest crime yet will involve both land and water…and much more new recruits that V.I.L.E. truly deserves as an evil organization. And the best part is…that no one will be able to stop me."

Carmen smiled as she thought out loud, "I can think of two ACME agents that could."

Back in the relative present, at ACME headquarters…

Carmen concluded, "and that's my story. That is, before you found me in the Alps."

Zack concluded, "well, we won't be hearing from V.I.L.E. for quite a while."

Ivy added as she placed handcuffs over Carmen's wrists, "any last requests before you go to jail, Carmen?"

Carmen sighed, "I'd like to see my father…see if he can remember me."

The Chief figured, "well, I think that's a reasonable request. All in favor? Oh right…I don't have hands."

Ivy and Zack chuckled a little. Zack added, "well, I am."

Ivy added, "me too. Let's go, Carmen."

Carmen concluded with a tear in her eye, "I'm truly touched, detectives."

A while later…

Carmen, Zack, and Ivy were at the doorstep of Malcolm Avalon. He appeared at the front door. Malcolm asked, "what can I do for you, Zack and Ivy?"

Ivy pointed out, "I thought you didn't remember."

Malcolm added with a chuckle, "well, the news wouldn't let me forget who rescued me from Lee Jordan's latest crimes. If there is anything I can do for you detectives…" Zack, Ivy, and Carmen followed Malcolm into a corridor, in his fancy place on the waterfront.

Zack figured, "funny you should say that. You see, Carmen wanted to see you?"

Malcolm wondered, "why would a world famous thief like her want to see me…when she clearly can't steal from me?"

Carmen insisted teary eyed, "stealing from you is the last thing I'd do."

Malcolm insisted, "why not? You didn't seem to care how everyone else felt about your latest thefts…which were also on the news."

Carmen revealed, "I quietly returned all of those items to the rightful owners…after realizing that we already saved you."

Malcolm realized, "you mean that you and…Zack and Ivy…" Malcolm, Zack, Ivy, and Carmen went into Malcolm's fancy office.

Ivy concluded, "yep. We had to team up…to save you from Lee Jordan. Aren't you at least a little grateful?"

Malcolm realized uneasily, "you're…you're right, of course. Where are my manners?"

Carmen added, "this may be hard to explain, but…" As she said this, she shook out of her pockets the locket of her mother, which was picked up by Malcolm.

He concluded in confusion, "my daughter…had lived. But, she would've grown smart and…"

Carmen figured with a sigh, "brave, never a thief and coward. I know…because you told me that the first time you saw this locket."

Ivy urged, "we'll be waiting outside. Come on, Zack." Zack and Ivy walked out of the office, to leave Carmen and Malcolm by themselves.

Malcolm went on, "I don't…I don't understand. Why would I have a thief for a daughter? Do you have any idea how hurtful that would be…to my reputation as a industrialist, who provides well needed services to South America and beyond? If the tabloids got ahold of this, who would trust me to help others then?"

Carmen insisted, "tabloid journalism comes and goes, but friendship and family shouldn't be so easily discarded. You see…it might be possible that I escaped the fire with that locket…and that you're my father."

Malcolm sighed, "possible, but not proven."

Carmen urged, "look at the woman in that locket. Doesn't it look familiar?" Malcolm did so, and saw in teary eyes the image of his wife.

He went on, "but…I thought I lost…everything I cared about…that night."

Carmen figured with a half smile, "maybe not."

After watching the scenes unfold, the Player typed, "does this mean that it's the end of your criminal days?"

Carmen typed back, "don't be so sure, Player. Remember…the past isn't dead…it isn't even past. Maybe I'll see you next crime…but V.I.L.E. is no more."

Then a screen popped up, which said in big golden letters, "congratulations! You won an all expense paid vacation to San Francisco!"

The Player called out, "yes!"

**The End…Or The Start of Spin Off Fanfiction?**

**Please Feel Free To Comment On Or Continue This Storyline**


End file.
